Day after day, Agni, the divine fire, stands tireless and steadfast, like a noble horse who welcomes the grass brought to him. In his presence, the people rejoice, nourished by wealth and food, seeking his protection so that no harm may come from hostile neighbors. At the very navel of the earth, where Agni is kindled for the growth of abundance, the people call upon this mighty one—Agni, who brings joy, who is lauded in many hymns, revered as a conqueror and a champion in battle. To him, they entrust all threats: armies that attack without fear, bands of marauders, thieves, and robbers—all are placed into Agni’s consuming mouth. With his fierce jaws and sharp teeth, Agni devours those covered in filth and those who steal, consuming the wrongdoers and the easily vanquished. Those who hide in forests and thickets, those who are corrupt or evil-doers, are cast between his jaws. Whoever is hostile or harbors hatred, whoever reviles or slanders, Agni is asked to reduce them all to ashes. The prayers offered become keen and powerful, sharpening not only the strength of the one who prays but also the authority of the victorious for whom the priest officiates. With uplifted arms and radiant energy, foes are destroyed by the power of prayer, while the worshippers are led forward. Agni, Lord of food, is invoked to grant sustenance—vigorous and free from disease—to both givers and receivers, to bipeds and quadrupeds alike, bestowing strength and abundance upon all. Then, a wondrous vision unfolds: Agni, shining and golden, blazes forth across the wide earth, his glory radiant and hard to endure. Agni the immortal, born with his powers, emerges when heaven, rich with seed, gives him birth. Night and dawn, though different in form, are united in mind as they nurture this single, resplendent child. Heaven and earth, too, uphold him, while the gods, givers of wealth, support Agni, the golden one shining within. The sage, ever-wise, assumes all forms, bestowing prosperity upon all creatures, whether two-legged or four. Savitar, the worthy, reveals the highest path, shining forth along the dawn’s radiant way. Agni is likened to the splendid eagle, Garutmat: his head is threefold, the Gāyatrī meter his eye, the Bṛhadrathantara his wings, praise his soul, meters his limbs, Yajus his name, Sāman his body, Vāmadeva his sacrificial tail, the platforms his thighs, and the claws his feet. This glorious eagle is called to ascend to heaven, to soar toward the sun. He is also the stride of Viṣṇu, overcoming rivals and adversaries, striding with the sacred meters—Gāyatrī upon the earth, Triṣṭubh in the atmosphere, Jagatī in heaven, and Anuṣṭubh in all directions—destroying foes with each divine step. When Agni roars, his thunder echoes like the sky itself; the earth trembles, and plants adorn themselves in delight. Born anew, he blazes between heaven and earth, his radiance shining forth. The people call to Agni: “Return to us, do not turn away! Bring life, splendor, offspring, wealth, intelligence, and nourishment. O Agni of the Angiras line, may your uncovered be a hundred, your covered a thousand. Grant us abundance upon abundance, and restore to us what has been lost.” “Return with nourishment, with food and life. Protect us again from harm. Come back with wealth, O Agni, and swell forth with sustenance, embracing all from every side.” Agni is drawn forth from within the earth, firm and steadfast. The people pray that all may desire him and that his kingdom may never be lost. Varuṇa is then invoked: “Lift away from us your highest noose, loosen the middle, and remove the lowest. Then, O Āditya, may we, sinless, belong to your order of truth and to Aditi.” Once again, Agni rises at the fore, great among the dawns, driving away darkness and bringing light. Shining with radiant form, he is born and fills all dwellings. He is the swan dwelling in purity, the bringer of wealth in the midspace, the priest on the altar, the honored guest in every house. He sits among men and gods, in truth and in the sky, born of waters, cows, truth, and mountains—he is the very essence of truth. The people entreat Agni to settle gently in the lap of his mother, the earth, knowing all the paths, but not burning her with his heat. Instead, he is asked to shine within her as a bright, beneficent light. Seated within the hearth, Agni is to blaze auspiciously, bringing blessings with his power and radiance. Once established as auspicious, he is asked to make all directions auspicious and to remain at his origin. Agni’s births are manifold: first, he is born from the sky; then, as Jātavedas, a second time; and a third, he is ever kindled among men in the waters, nourished by those who know his true nature. The people declare, “We know your threefold forms, O Agni; we know your abodes in many places; we know your supreme, hidden name, and the source from which you have come.” In the ocean, among men, in the waters, Agni is kindled from the sky’s udder, standing in the third region, increased by the mighty ones in the lap of the waters. Again Agni roars, thundering like the sky; the earth trembles, plants bedeck themselves, and, newly born, Agni proclaims himself, shining between heaven and earth. He is the generous supporter of riches, the foundation of treasures, the source of wisdom, and the guardian of Soma. As the son of strength and king in the waters, Agni shines at the fore, kindled among the dawns. He is the beacon of all, the embryo of the world, filling heaven and earth upon his birth. He breaks even the strongest barriers, going beyond when people worship him in five ways. Agni, pure, shining, tireless, and wise, is immortal among mortals, established as the unwearied one. He sends forth red smoke, bearing it high, and with his bright flame, he touches the sky. Shining, Agni adorns the wide earth with his splendor, difficult to withstand, radiant in his glory. Immortal, he becomes ever youthful when heaven, rich in seed, gives him birth. Whatever auspicious offering with clarified butter is prepared for Agni, the god of bright flame, he is asked to lead that offering straight to wealth, favor, and divine grace. Agni is called to share this with the one famed in hymns, the beloved of Sūrya and Agni himself—he who, being born, bursts forth and splits open by the power of his birth. The sacrificers entrust to Agni all desirable riches, seeking wealth and dispersing together with him to the cattle-rich enclosure. May Agni, gracious among men and universal, stand firm with the seers who guard Soma. May Heaven and Earth be invoked without enmity, and may the gods grant wealth and heroic strength. Agni is to be honored with kindling, awakened as a guest with offerings of ghee, and the oblations poured into him with devotion. Finally, may all the gods, with their thoughts, raise up Agni; may he be auspicious to all, radiant and beautiful in form, bringing blessings to those who honor him.